Production of waxy products



Patented Aug. 21, IQIM PRWDUGTEQN F WAKE PRWDUQTS Wilhelm Pungs, llludwigshafen-on-the-lithine, and Michael .lahrstorier, Mannheim, Germany, assignors to l. G. Farbenindustrie Alttiengesellschaft, Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany N0 Drawing. Application February 16, 1931, Serial No. 516,206. In Germany March 5, 1930 6 Claims. (o1. 87- -19) The present invention relates to the producskilled in the art that the nature and quantity tion of waxy products. of the additions can be varied in wide limits de- We have found that the properties of esterpending on the desired hardness, polishing power waxes, i. e. of natural or artificial waxes consistand other properties of the products. ing of or containing a substantial quantity of es The carboxylic acids present in the mixture 60 ters, are substantially improved by decomposing or separated therefrom may be converted into the esters present therein into their components halogenated, hydroxylated or saturated acids and (alcohols and acids). The splitting of the esters all the acids may be converted wholly or partially may be carried out in the usual way, as for exinto neutral derivatives thereof i. e. into salts 10- ample by heating the waxes with aqueous soluand/or other compounds containing CO-groups, 65 tions of alkalies or acids, if desired in the presence either alone or together with other organic acids of catalysts, such as the known fat-splitting catby the addition of substances which were not alysts, at atmospheric or increased pressure. If'a contained in the initial product, as for example crude wax be employed as the initial material it according to the said specification No. 1,83t,056, may be previously subjected to a physical or in such a manner that the high molecular sub- (0 chemical treatment for the purpose of bleaching stances containing hydroxyl groups formed by it, but the chemical properties of the wax are the splitting are wholly or partially retained. preferably not allowed to undergo any substan- The products prepared according to the prestial change. The components obtained from the ent invention are distinguished from the untreatwaxes may also be subjected to purification for ed ester-waxes by an increased polishing action, 75

example by bleaching, recrystallization or disemulsifiability and elasticity and therefore contillation, likewise while preferably preserving stitute a valuable material for industries engaged their chemical nature, i. e. without attack by oxin working up waxes.

idizing bleaching agents. The mixtures obtained The following examples will further illustrate 5 by splitting the esters may be used in the same the nature of this invention but the invention is go way as the waxes from which they are obtained, not restricted to these examples. as for example in the production of colored or Example 1 non-colored boot or floor polishes, preparations for polishing furniture or glazing paper and the Carnauba wax is saponified in the usual manlike. Quite distinct mixtures may be obtained her with about 7 per cent of caustic lime in about however by mixing the components in certain 10 times its quantity of water and the resulting other proportions with each other or with other soap is decomposed with dilute aqueous sulphuric substances, as for example with hydrocarbons, acid. In this manner a mixture of alcohols and such as paraffin wax or ceresine, with alcohols, carboxylic acids is obtained at the surface of the 35 such as benzyl or high molecular aliphatic alcoaqueous solution. After removing the mineral 9o hols, soaps, vegetable or animal waxes, fats, acids acid and the salts by washing with water and of animal or vegetable oils or fats, mineral, aniafter dehydrating in a vacuo a hard wax is obma] or vegetable'oils, resins, balsams and the tained which is distinguis ed by a ready emullike or with the products obtained according to sifiability and a high pfilishillg action- 40 the U. S. specification No. 1,834,056 of one of Example 2 the present applicants and to the present applicants U. S. specifications Nos. 1,737,975 and C ud ta W is Split p into a s. 1,777,766, if desired with the addition of solvents nd ap y saponification in the usual m nn r such as turpentine oil, heavy benzines, solvent w h ub e i q y of an qu s 15 naphtha and the like, or diluents, such as low ali- 6 per t solution of caustic a While heating 10o phatic alcohols according to the desired properfor about 4 hours to from to C. The

- ties of the products. In the mixtures the alcohols alcohols are separated from the mixture and may be present in a quantity of from 25 to 400 bleached, as for example by dissolving them in per cent of the acids but in most cases a proporan organic oxygen containing solvent and work 59 tion of from 33 to 300 per cent will usually give ing the solution with a decolorizing agent, such 105 mthe best results. Saponified shoe creams will usuas fullers earth or decolorizing carbon. The ally contain a preponderating quantity of acid carboxylic acids set free from the soaps by means whereas the ratio will be reversed if the preparaof dilute acids, such as aqueous hydrochloric or tions be desired to furnish a particularly high sulphuric acids, are bleached according to the will be easily understood by anybody U. S. specification No. 1,777,766. By mixing equal amounts of the components thus treated a hard wax is obtained having a high polishing action. The bleached acids may also be esterifled for example with benzyl alcohol and then mixed with the alcohols obtained by the saponification. The product thus obtained has a great plasticity and flexibility.

Example 3 Example 4 Carnauba wax is saponified as described in Example 1. 3 parts of the acids obtained are fused with 1 part of the alcohols obtained and 6 parts of crude Montan wax, 0.8 part of Japan wax and 1.5 parts of colophony are added to the melt. A hot solution of '2 parts of potash and 4 parts of water-soluble nigrosine in 83 parts of water are then stirred into the melt in any usual and convenient manner. A highly valuable socalled saponified shoe-cream is obtained;

Example 5 Beeswax is saponified in the manner described in Example 1. 10 parts of the product containing about equal portions of the free acid and of the free alcohols of beeswax are fused with 7 parts of the mixture of the acids of carnauba wax and of the alcohols of carnauba wax pre-' pared according to Example 1 and from 1 to 2 parts of colophony are added to the melt. 30 parts of hot turpentine oil are then stirred into the melt and subsequently 60 parts of hot water in which 1.5 parts of potash has been dissolved. A colorless polishing preparation giving a particularly high gloss is obtained.

What we claim is:-

1. The process for improving the properties of waxes containing esters, which comprises saponifying the said esters, separating alcohols and acid soaps by extracting the alcohols by means of an organic oxygen-containing solvent, setting free the acids from the soaps by means of dilute inorganic acids and mixing said alcohols and acids in a proportion different from equimolecular proportion.

2. The process for improving the properties of waxes containing esters, which comprises saponifying the said esters, separating alcohols and acid soaps by extracting the alcohols by means of an organic oxygen-containing solvent, setting free the acids from the soaps by means of dilute inorganic acids, decolorizing at least one of the said alcohols and acids and mixing the resulting alcohols and acids in any proportion.

3. The process for improving the properties of waxes containing esters, which comprises saponifying the said esters, separating alcohols and acid soaps by extracting the alcohols by means of an organic oxygen-containing solvent, converting the acids at least partially into neutral derivatives thereof difierent from said esters and mixing the said derivatives and the alcohols in any desired proportion.

4. The process for improving the properties of carnauba wax which comprises saponifying carnauba wax by means of an alkali, acidifying the soap mixture with an aqueous strong acid and removing the resulting alkali salts and remainders of said strong acid.

5. As new articles of manufacture, wax compositions comprising free acids corresponding to the acid radicles of the original esters and from 25 to 400 per cent of the weight of said acids of alcohols corresponding to the alcoholic radicles of the original esters.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a modified carnauba wax comprising free acids corresponding to the acid radicles of the original esters of carnauba wax and from 33 to 300 per cent of the weight of said acids of the alcohols corresponding to the alcoholic radicles of the said original esters.

WILHELM PUNGS. MICHAEL JAHRSTORFER. 

